to plague / to bother
Loading your saved state.
to plague
To cause someone physical or emotional pain, worries, or inconvenience. Often used in connection with hunger, thirst, illness, fear, or a guilty conscience.
Seit Tagen plagen ihn starke Kopfschmerzen.
He has been plagued by severe headaches for days.
to toil
To make a great effort or struggle in order to do difficult or unpleasant work.
Er musste sich den ganzen Tag auf dem Feld plagen.
He had to toil in the field all day.
to bother
To bother and annoy someone through constant asking, questioning, or demanding.
Die Kinder plagen ihre Mutter, weil sie ein Eis wollen.
The children are bothering their mother because they want ice cream.
The verb 'plagen' (to plague/bother) belongs to the noun 'die Plage' (plague/nuisance). Both words describe a situation that causes suffering, effort, or major inconvenience.
Die Hitze in der Stadt ist eine Plage.
The heat in the city is a nuisance.
In this meaning, the subject of the sentence is usually an abstract feeling or a condition, e.g. hunger, worries, or pain. The person who is suffering is in the accusative.
Das schlechte Gewissen plagte ihn die ganze Nacht.
His guilty conscience plagued him all night.
In the meaning 'sich abmühen' (to struggle/to toil), the verb is always used reflexively: 'sich plagen' (to toil/struggle). It is often followed by a description of the difficult activity, introduced with 'mit' (with).
Sie plagt sich jeden Tag mit schweren Kisten bei der Arbeit.
She struggles with heavy boxes at work every day.
Whereas with emotional pain a feeling plagues a person, in this meaning it is one person who bothers another person. The context makes the difference clear.
Mein kleiner Sohn plagt mich schon den ganzen Morgen, weil er fernsehen will.
My little son has been bothering me all morning because he wants to watch TV.
to bother / harass
Both words can express that someone is being bothered by repeated requests, questions, or demands. “Belästigen” is the more general term. “Plagen” particularly emphasizes the constant annoyance and persistence. For general unwanted disturbance, “belästigen” is appropriate; for continued asking or demanding, “plagen” is also possible.
Die Kinder plagten den Nachbarn den ganzen Nachmittag mit ihren Forderungen.
The children pestered the neighbor with their demands all afternoon.
Die Kinder belästigten den Nachbarn immer wieder mit ihren Fragen.
The children kept bothering the neighbor with their questions.
